NOVEMBER 2007 HAPPENINGS AT CALLAHAN CENTER

FRAMINGHAM, MA -- What's happening during November at the Callahan Senior Center on Union Ave, Framingham:

CALLAHAN CENTER WILL BE CLOSED ON VETERANS’ DAY, NOVEMBER 12th and on THANKSGIVING DAY, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 22nd. No activities or programs at the Center on Wednesday, November 14th due to the Flu Clinic and on Friday, November 23rd, the day after Thanksgiving.

FLU CLINIC AT CALLAHAN CENTER – Wednesday, November 14th from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm.

This clinic is provided FREE by the Framingham Board of Health and is for Framingham residents age 65 years of age and older/or at medical high risk. Please have proof of residence and your Medicare B/HBO insurance information. (Please see the MetroWest newspaper for other clinic dates at Nevins Hall, Memorial Building, Framingham.)

Would you like to volunteer to teach some computer classes to seniors? Then, we are looking for you! If you have some free time and would like to volunteer to teach some classes in the Callahan Computer Learning Center, please call Robert Kyriakakis, Computer Center Coordinator, to set up an interview. Robert can be reached at 508-532-5983 or by email at rkyriakakis@yahoo.com.

Thursday, November 1st at 10:00 am - “The Basics of Medicaid” with Betsy Soule of South Middlesex Legal Services. This presentation will be followed by a question and answer session. Please sign up by calling the Callahan Center at 508-532-5980.

Sunday, November 4th at 2:00 pm - “A Boys Memories of Boston” Poetry and music. For centuries the two were inextricably mixed together. Then, in the last 150 years, they drifted apart and formed two separate disciplines. Now “A Boy’s Memories of Boston” brings them back together. Not a novel, not a poem, not a biography, but a lyrical memoir, based on Marc Widershien’s The Life of All Worlds. “A Boy’s Memories of Boston” is a serious, humorous and sometimes sentimental program that recalls an America filled with “beloved communities”. They were hard but beautiful times, brimming with optimism and the desire to build a good life. Please sign up by calling the Callahan Center at 508-532-5980.

Monday, November 5, 2007 at 9:30 am - Framingham Garden Club at the Callahan Center to assist with creating an Autumn arrangement. Donation required is $4.00 (Increase of $1.00 due to cost of floral materials.) Please stop by the Center to reserve a seat and pre-pay for your materials. Please bring your own scissors. Limited to the first 20 reservations.

Wednesday, November 7th at 10:00 am - Do you have a grandchild preparing to go off to college? Valerie Eichel, Ph.D., Educational Consultant & Learning Skills Specialist of Pathways Consulting Services, Paths to College, will be conducting a presentation that just may help you and your family through this stressful time. Valerie will explain how and why through the years there have been many changes to the college admission process. There will be a question and answer session at the end of the presentation. Please sign up by calling the Callahan Center at 508-532-5980.

Thursday, November 15th at 10:30 am - “The Older, Wiser Driver” presented by the Traffic Safety Department of Triple A of Southern New England. The goal is to help seniors maintain their independence for as long as it is safe to do so. Please sign up by calling the Callahan Center at 508-532-5980.

Friday, November 16th, 2007 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm - Seniors “Autumn” Dance at Callahan Center
With DJ, Bob Fisher of “Music, Music, Music Memories” - Singles and Couples welcome. Lots of dances for singles to participate in. Bring your requests! Sandwiches, desserts, soft drinks and coffee. Door prizes! Donation of $7.00 pp required to cover the food and beverages. The cost of the DJ is paid for by the Friends of Callahan. Come and have an evening of fun and enjoy some of your favorites from years gone by—Bob has ‘em all! Sign up and pre-payment for this event is required. Please call the Center at 508-532-5980.

Friends’ General Meeting - The next Friends’ meeting will be Entertainment provided by the Senior Class Barber Shop Quartet. Refreshments will be served. Come and bring a friend!

Support Groups at Callahan Senior Center - Bereavement Support Group: Mondays, November 5, 19 & 26 at 10:00 am. (No meeting on November 12 due to the holiday.) Caregivers’ Support Group: Tuesday, November 6 at 1:00 pm. (If you are interested in participating in this group but can only attend in the evening, please call the Center at 508-532-5980.) Diabetes Support Group: Tuesday, November 27 at 10:00 am. Grandparent Support Group: Please call Center for date and time. Low Vision Group: Friday, November 16 from 1:00 - 3:00 pm. Massage Therapy: Thursday, November 1, by appt. only. Parkinson’s Support Group: Tuesday, November 20 at 1:30 pm. Podiatry: Thursday, November 8 from 12:30 pm to 4:15 pm, by appt. only. Stroke Survivors’ Support Group: Monday, November 5 at 1:00 pm.

BLOOD PRESSURE CLINIC FOR NOVEMBER - Wednesdays, November 7 & 28 from 9:30—11am & 12—1 pm. Due to the flu clinic on Wednesday, November 14, we will not have a blood pressure clinic.

Medicare Annual Open Enrollment - November 15 – December 31 - 1) Medicare Prescription Drug Plans (Part D Plans) will be open for enrollment between November 15 and December 31, effective January 2008. If you don’t have prescription drug coverage, you can join a plan during this time (a penalty may apply). If you have limited income and assets, there is federal assistance to help pay for your Medicare Part D costs. If you currently have prescription drug coverage, you can change plans at this time. In October, you should have received information about any changes to your plan for next year. The plan you have now may not be the best plan for you in 2008. 2) Prescription Advantage, the state prescription assistance program, is currently open for enrollment. This program helps pay your Part D plan (or other “creditable” drug plan) costs. If you join Prescription Advantage, there is no monthly premium and based upon your income, you can save money on your Part D premium, deductible and co-payments. For most people, it also provides coverage in the GAP. 3) Medicare Advantage Plans will be open for enrollment between November 15 and December 31, effective January 2008. Many Medicare Advantage Plans are also changing in 2008. Your plan should have notified you in October of any changes for next year. If you have been satisfied with your plan and it is not changing significantly, you may want to keep it. However, if you have been unhappy or your plan is changing in a major way, you may want to consider all your options. If you need help with any aspect of your health insurance, SHINE offers free confidential counseling at your Senior Center. Call and ask for a SHINE appointment. You can reach a SHINE volunteer by calling 1-800-AGE-INFO, then pressing or saying 2. Once you get the SHINE answering machine, leave your name and number. A volunteer will call you back, as soon as possible.

Do you avoid coming to the Center because you are hearing-impaired? We have great news for our hearing-impaired friends! Through the efforts of Ann Steacie and Heather Pippos, we have acquired two ‘Pocketalkers’ for the Center, which are personal amplifying devices. Ann’s was an anonymous donation and Heather’s was made possible through the William Sound Corporation. If you are signing up for a presentation or attending a meeting at the Center and would like to use the ‘Pocketalker’, please ask the person who signs you up to reserve this device for you. This offering will be on a first-come, first-serve basis. You may sign up by calling the Center at 508-532-5980.

When making your list this holiday season, don’t forget to stop and check out what we have at the Heritage Gallery, where you will find a treasure trove of delightful gifts for everyone on your list! We are always getting new items including artwork, china, collectibles, dolls, home décor, jewelry and much more - all at very reasonable prices. The Heritage Gallery offers a lay-away plan where you can pay weekly or monthly. We are open Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 10:00 am until 2:15 pm. We are located at the Callahan Center, 535 Union Avenue, Framingham. Come in and browse - you won’t be disappointed!

CALLAHAN SENIOR BOWLING LEAGUE - We are into our 3rd month of the 2007-2008 bowling season with over 30 participants, ranging in bowling averages from 60 to a present high of 107. You would fit in here somewhere, for sure! We bowl at 9:30 am on Mondays at the Fairway Bowling Lanes in Natick. So, if this would be ‘up your alley’ give us a try or a call to Richard Bonvini at 508-877-2724 or Paul Hooper at 508-877-2319.